Victory has been won

And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 NLT

The battle that Christians are facing is powerful. “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). This is why Paul’s admonition is for Christ’s followers to be watchful. The fight against Satan will not be won by relying on our own strength but on the power of the Holy Spirit who is at work within. From the text, Paul described how this enemy of God will be revealed before the coming of Christ. Though Satan has dominion over the affairs in this world but his power is being restrained by the sovereignty of God. It might seem that Satan and his minions are winning because of the events transpiring in our time, yet victory is already won by Christ. The man of lawlessness “is already at work secretly, but a time will come when he will be revealed. What Christ had accomplished at the cross and was appropriated by Christ’s followers when they trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior, guarantees that in the end God’s enemy will be defeated. The culmination of history was already settled. So, if you claim you are a Christian, a follower of Christ, there is no need to be fearful no matter how dark and gloomy the prospect is regarding the future. Even so that Satan will lead multitudes of people in their rebellion and rejection to God’s offer of salvation, he and his minions will be of no match to the power of God. In the meantime, we should submit to the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives and let our witness be used by God so that Satan’s influence will continue to be restrained. Let us take every opportunity that God gives us to lead someone to a saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Blessings,